What was once a small triathlon in Pensacola is now a huge national competition after management went all out on marketing this year. The 6th Annual PENSacola BEACH TRiathlon spent upwards of $1.50 in unmarked U.S currency to help promote the race this year. The single cardboard sign found in behind a closed down JC Penney's has helped boost the attendance this year from 10 people to now 10,000 and growing.
The issue with this is that the Fairhope Grandman competition set in June and brings tons of money into our local economy. For the first week in june Fairhope was set to make upwards of $150,000 profit from Michelob Ultra and visor style hats alone. The Grandman hosted 725 racers last year and had already registered 700 last month, but the draw to the Pensacola event has brought that registration number down to a measly 7.
We suppose that the unusual style of this race has a lot to do with the attention. The event starts with a 300 yard swim, then onto a 10 mile bike cruise, but finishes with what appears to be a 31 mile run. A far cry from the usual "Sprint" Tri's. This one definitely looks good for the runners. For those who wish to join in but lack the endurance the Tri will offer a separate registration for anyone wishing to just get photos of themselves running out of the water onto the beach shirtless looking super cool for a small fee.
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